Chef Surprise at Capella Pedregal in Los Cabos

The sun was once again shining on the Capella Pedregal resort in Cabo San Lucas and my friend Lynn and I were ready to take full advantage of it on our final day.  

We started off with a leisurely breakfast at Don Manuel’s Restaurant. Julieta Hernandez of the Los Cabos Tourism Board joined us and told me about some of the new hotels going up in the area. She also told me a bit about nearby La Paz and the whale shark tours.

I had known that as a Mexican playground for Hollywood stars Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo boasted many fine resorts, but I didn't realize until our conversation how many more there were in this area that were among the best in the world.

I promised Julieta I would return soon to check out more of the Baja Peninsula and then headed to enjoy my final pool day for a long while.

Even though my foot had just been stitched and I couldn’t go in the water, I enjoyed a few hours in front of Capella’s massive infinity pool under warm sunny skies.  Since I grew up (and spent most of my adult life) on Long Island I always found the view of the beach comforting. The advantage of this strip of sand not being a swimmable beach was peaceful with only the sounds of the waves.

The waiters were quick to bring us a bucket filled with ice cold water bottles and what had become my standard drink at this resort, a Watermelon Mojito.

One of the things that Capella Pedregal has available for its guests are cooking classes. Most chose the ceviche class, but considering Lynn and I are both allergic to seafood, that wasn’t an option. It worked out well, though, because I got to learn how to make one of my favorite foods, tamales.

Executive Chef Yvan Mucharraz, a protégée of Thomas Keller who spent time with the famed chef in Napa, was ready for us in the private kitchen reserved for classes and chef’s dinners (something we were doing that evening).

He told us about the history of tamales and how the fillings are really optional. We talked a bit about how tamales of all kinds are sold on the streets and made as a cheap meal in Mexico. I had only previously had pork filled ones and sweet corn tamales, which were filled, for breakfast.

We made chicken tamales and vegetarian ones with peppers, tomatoes and onions. Chef Mucharraz also showed us how to make quick and easy tomatillo salsa and salsa ranchera to serve with them.

During the tamale cooking class, mixologist and head bartender Osvaldo brought us some drinks he had created just for us. We named one of them “Samantha” for our daughters at home who share the same name. We also happened to love the drink, a blend of gin, lavender syrup, plumb bitters, Domaine de Canton liqueur, basil and lychee.

After the cooking class, Lynn and I each went back to our rooms. The complimentary guacamole, chips and Corona was delivered as usual and I enjoyed the view from my balcony for a while before showering and dressing for dinner.

Before dinner we went down to check out the weekly cocktail party they have for guests. It was an intimate setting with maybe two dozen people and a guitarist in the background. We each had a glass of wine and toasted to what would be our final evening in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Chef Mucharraz had put together a private dinner for Lynn and I for our final night. It was paired with wines and cocktails for a memorable experience. I was even impressed with how the chef didn’t blink about making my rib eye steak well-done. And, it was delicious, served with a parsnip puree and morel mushrooms.

I didn’t have much room left to finish the meat as we had already finished a tasty heirloom beetroot salad and a ginger-spiced butternut squash soup.

I almost wasn’t able to make it to the dark chocolate ganache dessert, but anyone who knows me knows that I am always ready for anything that includes the words “chocolate ganache!”

It had been an unbelievable week in Los Cabos between the (mostly) beautiful weather, relaxation and great food. It had also taken a very different turn at one point as I was going home with an injury to my toe, foot and ankle. It kept me from swimming with the dolphins – or swimming at all – but it also gave me more reason to come back to Los Cabos soon. 

Sun Shines Through Lido Key & Mote Aquarium

My friend Lynn and I woke up to the bright sunshine at the Lido Beach Resort. It was our first trip to the western keys off Sarasota and had been a good one so far.

I had breakfast through room service and thoroughly enjoyed chocolate chip pancakes with blueberries while watching the waves off my balcony. We had a pretty full day and I was hoping to have some time to also get close to those waves.

We were starting the day with a trip to the Mote Aquarium and Research Center, which is dedicated to the ocean life in the area. We learned about Eugenie Clark, still diving and supporting the aquarium’s research into her 90s. We saw some of the research in the form of a project trying to breed octopus in captivity.

One way the Mote Aquarium and research laboratory raise money is through farm by raising sturgeon to harvest caviar and sell it. I found it to be quite fascinating as the process was explained.

Sea turtles are a big part of life here and the aquarium hopes to educate those in the water about respecting their space. There is a full laboratory for research and a hospital to help heal rescued marine life.

This included manatees found in the area injured from boating accidents. We also saw and pet some stingrays while they were enjoying the shade.

Before we left the aquarium to head back to Lido Beach Resort we spent some time with the resident bottlenose dolphin. Moonshine is a rare pantropical spotted dolphin that was rescued after being stranded in the Keys. He’s quite friendly and seemed to enjoy doing tricks and getting attention from the crowd around him.

I had read that the Brunch at Lido Beach Resort was one of the best in the state and it did not disappoint. It was wonderful, but nothing was as good as the view. From every window of the restaurant there seemed to be another picture-perfect scene. We toasted brunch with a glass of champagne, before sampling the buffet. There was quite a lot of seafood, which Lynn and I are both allergic to, but there were still plenty of options to leave us satisfied.

We started with some cold salad items, including a Caprese Salad with yellow, orange and red tomatoes. We passed on the custom-made omelets in favor of some of the hot dishes. I think the Blintz were my favorite, filled with creamy cheese. I also enjoyed the Chicken Florentine.

Dessert was a tough choice, offering everything from bread pudding to warm chocolate chip cookies (my favorite).

After that full meal I took a walk on the beach and then enjoyed a Wolfberry Mojito at the pool. By that time I had digested all that food and even did a few laps.

In the evening, we drove to Siesta Key for dinner and to check out the beach, which has been voted the “Best Beach in the U.S.” It was quite nice, but it does take a lot to impress me having grown up near the beach and seen so many around the world.

It was just before sunset and we were told that locals gathered at this time on Sundays for a drum circle on the beach. We stayed for a bit to listen to the music and watch the dancing, but it was rather cloudy so we didn’t see much of a sunset.

We did find a little Italian place in downtown Siesta Key called Falvios. It was a great choice and we shared a plate of ricotta and spinach filled ravioli as well as a perfectly cooked pasta with tomatoes, eggplant and fresh mozzarella.

We were pretty exhausted by the time we got back to the Lido Beach Resort so it was an early evening before another big day in Florida's Other Keys.